Backlighting :: June 1976
by MintandSalt
Summary: A story about a day of June 1976 at Hogwarts written through the eyes of five canon/non-canon characters from the worst memory of Snape to Lily's ultimate rejection of him that same night. This is going to be the prequel of a long-shot fanfic about the Marauders' sixth year. Don't hate the writer for having changed the title three times, she solemnly swear she won't do that again.
1. PETER

**PETER**

_In which Peter takes his OWL's exam in Defence Against the Dark Arts and witnesses Snape's worst memory._

"Five more minutes!"

Peter jumped in his chair at the sound of Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice and resumed biting his nails even more vigorously. He reread question number fifteen for the third time:

"_List the different known species of salamander, their characteristics and specific properties_"

He had written no more than six lines whereas Oliver Stebbins, the Ravenclaw boy at his left, had already filled half a page and was still writing in haste.

Peter thought he had listed all (or at least most of) scarlet, blue and frost salamander's characteristics and properties but despite all his efforts, he couldn't remember anything about the golden ones. If only he could manage to have a look at Stebbins' parchment somehow…. But his sight had never been good and from that distance, he wasn't able to decipher Oliver Stebbins' scribbles.

While trying again to concentrate on his remembrances of the notes Moony gave him to prepare for the exam, he scuffed the ground with his toes.

"Quills down, please" squeaked Professor Flitwick.

Feeling defeated and resigned, Peter put the quill on the table with a sigh.

Oliver Stebbins, on the other hand, was still writing, evidently determined to pretend he didn't heard Professor Flitwick, who was now plumbing the Great Hall on his tiptoes to make sure everyone had stopped writing.

"That means you too, Stebbins!"

Before the tiny Professor could finish the sentence, Oliver was already putting the quill down with satisfaction. Peter looked at him with rancorous envy before lowering his eyes again on his parchment, full of ink stains and corrections.

"Please, remain seated while I collect your parchments! _Accio_!"

When his scrolls took flight to land into Professor Flitwick's little arms Peter continued looking at them hardly noticing the Professor falling down, legs in the air, from the weight of nearly a hundred scrolls.

Peter really needed to achieve an O.W.L. in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

When he was little, before starting Hogwarts, he dreamed of becoming a hero of the wizarding world, one of those courageous wizards that in the fairy tales face dragons and evil dark forces with a wand in one hand and a shiny sword in the other.

Obviously now that he was sixteen those childhood dreams had taken a less "fairy-tale" shape. He gave up the idea of the sword during his second year at Hogwarts, after he found out how heavy they are. He had tried to take one from a display case in the trophy room to play with James, Sirius and Remus but had fallen head over heels down, cutting himself deeply in his forearm, ending in infirmary first, and detention after.

Anyhow, at the career advice session Peter had declared to Professor McGonagall he wished to enter the Magical Law Enforcement Squad.

She had taken her eyes up from Peter's folder to look severely at him as considering his statement.

"Your marks at the moment are well beneath the requirements to aspire at such career levels, Peter. You'll need to put in some good hard work if you're really determined to take this path."

Peter had lowered his head, clenching his fists.

"The Minister requires a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s to enter the Magical Law Enforcement Squad' training program which lasts for two years." Professor McGonagall went on, "Among the required subjects there are Defence Against the Dark Arts, naturally, Charms, Transfiguration and Potion. Muggle Studies, which I see here you've chosen among the optional subjects, can also be useful."

She had paused for a moment before adding: "Pettigrew, I would recommend you to think of some…alternatives. You are averaging 'Acceptable' in all of this subjects and that's not nearly sufficient."

Most people thought he was an inept, weak little boy. They didn't know that he, the little, plump, clumsy Peter Pettigrew, only a few months before, proved himself able enough to become an Animagus. Well, to be fair, he wouldn't have accomplished it without the help of two of his best friends, James and Sirius, who were able to turn into, respectively, a stag and a dog, almost three months before him. Nevertheless, he made it: he managed to master (illegally) human transfiguration, something very few in the entire wizarding world had achieved.

And it was them, his friends, that helped him preparing for the exams to gain the required OWLs: Moony had prepared summary notes for him, James had assisted him during charms and transfiguration exercises and Sirius...well...Sirius thought it funny to make fly every sort of objects every time he tried to summon or banish something. It took James and Moony almost half an hour to find out that Peter wasn't doing anything wrong. Still, he helped Moony retrieve a boggart from one of the abandoned rooms in the cellar to allow him to exercise with the Riddikulus Charm and accepted to duel, every now and then, giving him some advises in between his usual persiflage.

And now, if Peter hadn't managed to take at least an E in Defence Against the Dark Arts it would have meant the breaking of all of his glorious dreams as a member of Magical Law Enforcement Squad.

Peter took quill, inkpot and the leftover parchment, put it ruefully in his bag and headed towards the exit doors, reaching his friends as they were emerging in the Entrance Hall.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" was asking Sirius.

"Loved it," said Remus with a grin, "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" intervened James, faking a tone of concern.

"Think I did," said Lupin frowning and starting count them on the fingers, "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

Peter didn't even listened to him. He was thinking about his answer. He just remembered he wasn't able to list all five signs and passed to the following question, taking note to himself to go back at it later but he forgot to, once he stopped thinking about the salamanders.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else -"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" James interrupted him impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month -"

"Keep your voice down James!" implored Lupin.

At this point, they were outside in the sunlit park, heading towards the lake's shore.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," said Sirius, "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

Peter was about to ask them what they wrote on salamanders but he forgot immediately at the sight of the golden winged ball.

"Where'd you get that?" Sirius asked

"Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again.

Peter was watching his every move and couldn't help but admiring his reflexes. Not only James played as a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and was reputed one of the best chasers in the school, but he could also play as easily and successfully as a Seeker.

When they reached the shade of the beech tree in front of the lake, they threw themselves down on the grass. It was eleven o'clock, and the park was full of students: whoever had a free hour was outside joining the heat of June.

James was still playing with the Snitch. He let it zoom further and further away, but always managed to grab it at the last second. Peter was hypnotised by the snitch's extremely quick movements and couldn't help but gasp and applaud every time James catches it.

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius, "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement."

Peter felt his cheeks burning.

"If it bothers you," said James, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

Silence fell over the group of friends. Peter looked at them each in turn: James was looking at the lakeshore, Sirius was lying on the ground, hands under his head, and Remus was sitting with his back against the log, reading the Transfiguration book.

"I'm bored," said Sirius, breaking the silence, "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," said Lupin, raising his eyes from the book "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here…"

He held out his book but Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," James said in a hushed tone, looking at the entrance of the castle behind them. "Look who it is…"

They all turned and saw whom James was referring.

"Excellent," said Sirius softly, "Snivellus."

Severus Snape was stowing some paper in his bag, sitting across the grass just few meters from the beech tree. Peter looked with excitement as Sirius and James stood up and approached him.

It was always funny watching how they could overcome that oily, snobbish boy, finding always new ways to ridicule him. He was actually a fearsome rival; Peter could never defeat him in a duel. Besides he was often accompanied by other Slytherins, all elder students who now were supposedly busy somewhere else.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted extremely fast, dropping his bag and drawing his wand out of his robes, but before he could do anything, James shouted a Disarming Charm causing his wand to fly in the air and fall some meters behind him.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"_Impedimenta_!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

Students all around had turned to watch and were gathering towards the scene as Peter got up on his feet himself and started approaching to have a clearer view.

Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him with their wands pointed.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" teased James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word."

Peter and several other students chuckled at Sirius' jape.

Snape was struggling to get up looking even more ridiculous as his body seemed bind in straight invisible ropes.

"You - wait," he panted, staring up at James "you - wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once. Peter was now openly laughing as he watched the froth covering Severus' lips and chin while he tried to suck in some air making ludicrous noises.

"Leave him ALONE!"

At the sound of the furiously imperious voice, Peter stopped immediately laughing thinking for a moment it was a Professor, and turned to look instead at the ginger girl approaching.

"All right, Evans?" said James, passing his free hand in his jet-black hair and casually messing them. In Peter's opinion, he couldn't have looked more attractive but Lily Evans seemed always to be strangely immune to James' charm. Peter really couldn't understand it and found her quite irritating, always shouting at James and acting all conscientious like she was a little professor.

"Leave him alone," she repeated looking at James with every sign of great dislike.

"What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point and making Peter smiling, ready to catch the witty and humorous answer "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…"

As Peter predicted, almost all of the surrounding students laughed, except for the ginger girl.

"You think you're funny. But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on… go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Peter looked at Lily. He already knew what her answer would have been. It wasn't the first time he witnessed this kind of exchange between the two of them. It began last year as a joke but ultimately it seemed James was insisting more and more on this joke and Peter had caught him watching at Lily Evans every so often. It was nothing more than a crush, but it had become so evident that even Peter couldn't pretend to take it like a mere gibe anymore. Not that he couldn't understand what might attract James about Lily Evans: she was undoubtedly very pretty, with long, flowing red hair, almond shape eyes of a stunning green and a determined and resolute air. Nevertheless, he couldn't quite comprehend why James would cling so obstinately on her while he could easily have almost whoever girl he wants in the entire school.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "Oy!"

Snape had managed to reach his wand and directed it straight at James. There was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. Peter let an acute shriek but James whirled about: a second flash of light and Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Peter roared with laughter, along with James and Sirius. It was one of the most hilarious scene he had ever witnessed and this time he was seriously near to wet his trousers.

Lily Evans' shout ordering to let the boy down could be barely heard above the laughter of the small crowd of students.

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius, with a swift stir of his wand, shouted "_Locomotor mortis_!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. Peter turned to see her pointing her wand at them. He took a step back but James and Sirius stayed in place eyeing the point of Evans' wand warily.

The ginger girl had proved more than once that she wasn't afraid of using it even against James and Sirius.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus —"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Lily blinked and everyone seemed to hold their breath for a moment while a tense silence fell after Snape's words.

"Fine," she finally said in a gelid tone, "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

She turned on her heel and hurried away towards the castle.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"

But she didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" said James, with an unconvincing air of indifference.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.

"Right," said James, with a furious look, "right -"

He pointed the wand at Snape and with another flash of light, he was hanging upside-down in the air showing his pale skinny leg once again.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

Peter let out a cheer and started yelling, "Take them off! Take them off!" with the rest of the crowd.

With a grin James gazed at Snape who was now thrashing furiously in the air, face covered by the robes. Snivelly's pants started slowly moving up revealing his navel.

"James…"

Peter hadn't even noticed Remus reaching his side. He was frowning and looking towards the castle entrance.

Professor McGonagall was quickly approaching, an intimidating expression on her face. James grin fade away and he put the wand down. With a dull thud, Snape felt on the ground in an envelope of cloth.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall shouted, "What you think you are doing? I'm sick and tired of you two fighting each other all the time. I won't tolerate such disgraceful shows of foolishness anymore. Don't you have to review for your exams?"

"But Professor, that's precisely what I was doing! We have the practical exam for Defence Against the Dark Arts after lunch and I was doing some practice confronting an old hag I stumbled upon. Don't you see, Professor? The ugly face, the warty nose...?"

A roar of laugh rang from the crowd but Peter detected a sudden movement in the corner of his eye. James took a little jump to his left to avoid Snape's jinx but Professor McGonagall was fast as a lightning and in an instant she disarmed Snape first and James right after, their wands drawing an arch in the air to land right in her left hand.

"Enough! 20 points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin! Potter, Snape, follow me, you will come in my office!"

Snivellus was fuming and looking as though capable of murder, with the face red from shame and rage, half covered by the greasy tend of his hair.

As he and James started heading towards the castle without breaking eye contact and exchanging looks full of hatred, Professor McGonagall turned to point her raging stare to Remus: "And Mr. Lupin, must I remember you it is expected from a prefect to maintain order in the school, not stay and watch as students try to scratch each other eyes out?".

Lupin was looking gloomier than ever. "No Professor, I'm sorry"

"Well, that was a pity!" said Peter with a sigh, as the crowd started scattering, "James was actually about to take his pants off!"

"I didn't know you were so eager to see what's under Snivelly's underwear, Wormtail," replied Sirius with a grin.

Once again, Peter felt his cheeks burning, "No…I didn't…I mean…"

"Calm down Petey, just messing with you!" interrupted Sirius laughing at his embarrassment.

"That wasn't funny guys, I think you are crossing the line that stands between amusement and - Oh no, what's happening now?" Lupin sighed wearily.

He was looking at the lakeshore sixty feet from them where a group of third years was gathering in two opposite fronts.

As Remus started in that direction, Peter and Sirius followed. A girl was stepping out from one front, taking her skirt and shirt off and heading towards the water under the bewildered looks of the rest of the group.

_**Dear readers**__,_

_I've let you all read this first chapter without any preamble and almost any anticipation of what it was about. Now, for the brave and patient ones that reached the end of the chapter and (hopefully) want to read the rest of the story, I will write some required clarifications._

_First, you should know that this story is part of a much more ambitious project. In fact, this whole story was originally conceived as one chapter of a much bigger one - Badabum!_

_However, while I was writing it, the story I had in mind started getting longer and longer and I realized that a chapter that long would have been too demanding, both for the reader and for the writer (=me)._

_Therefore, I decided to split it in various different stories that could eventually form a series._

_You probably noticed that a large part of this chapter comes directly from the books (Chapter 28 – Order of the Phoenix). Since my story starts exactly from the episode of Snape's worst memory, I thought it useful, if not essential, to recall it entirely._

_Anyway, from now on the next chapters will have a much higher percentage of personal elaboration!_

_Now, the real problem is (and here lies my masochistic nature) I'm Italian and I've never lived in any English-speaking country nor have I studied English or Foreign Languages at University. That should explain some errors I might have done in the writing, even though I hope I haven't._

_If you think my English isn't yet good enough just tell me and I will search for someone who can help me improving it._

_If someone out there wants to share his thoughts/suggestions/opinions =REVIEWS with me regarding the Chapter I'll be thrilled to read it (positive, negative or tepid!) and answer._


	2. ADELE

**ADELE**

_In which we meet Adele and her friends._

* * *

Every now and then the cold water of the lake came to wet her feet with its lazy motion back and forth on the shore. Adele sank her toes in the lukewarm mud under the sun of a morning of June, fully enjoying that placid free hour on the waterfront with her friends.

At her left, two second years run into the water. Drops of water and mud scattered on her skirt and on her legs while Clarice, sitting right next to her, withdrew her legs resentfully. They were carrying a girl, one boy by the legs, the other by the armpits, and were threatening to throw her in the lake.

"No no no no! Please! Please!"

The girl was laughing and shrieking while her two friends started swinging her as they were about to launch her.

"I hate those two, why can't they go somewhere else launching giggly girls in the lake? Don't they see they covered us in mud and cold water?" said Clarice with a tone of resentment.

Adele had often thought that Clarice would have been a fairly pretty girl if it wasn't for her constant peevish expression.

"They're just having fun, Clarice! Stop being such a killjoy!" she said laughing, "And it's getting hot here, a bit of cold water is refreshing"

"Look at your legs there, you've got mud all over!" replied Clarice with a look of disapproval, "You'll have to go clean yourself before lunch if you don't want to incur in Professor 'Cat Claws' rage again. Poor woman, you'll drive her crazy with you shabbiness, Adele"

"Did you actually called Professor McGonagall a "poor woman", Clarice?" Mic stepped in, stretching his head out from behind Caleb's shoulders.

"Well, sometimes I feel sympathetic with her exasperation for Adele's seemingly incapacitation to dress herself properly" explains Clarice, lying down her legs again since the trio of second years had returned out of the lake, dragging the girl safe back at shore.

"Hey! I know how to dress!" argued Adele, "I just don't like wasting time to do it 'properly'" she added with a smile.

"Yeah, cause putting two knee-socks on instead of just one is really a waste of time, isn't it?" said Clarice with a sarcastic tone. Mic chuckled at that.

"As matching every button of your shirt symmetrically with the right hole" intervened Caleb.

"Which side are you Cal?"

Adele crossed her arms faking an accusatory tone.

"Yours, of course! I actually find it quite nerving!"

Clarice rolled her eyes in exasperation.

They fell silent again, each one immersed in his thoughts or just listening at the sounds of birds, insects, water and laughs that filled Hogwarts' park that morning. They had already done the final exams the week before and there was only a week left of school. Then they would all go back home for summer. Adele blinked at that thought; she didn't want to think about her summer.

She thrust out her arm to reach her bag and dug in it to find what she was looking for: a little box with the image of a smiling old bard carrying a bagpipe and an old fashioned logo saying "Barnaba's Bard Bonbons – Scottish Flavour"(*). She opened it and took a little white candy with a tiny violin carved in it. Then she started to whistle softly the last hit of the Hobgoblins and passed the box of candies to Clarice. Her voice was perfectly reproducing the sounds of a fiddle, the notes filling the air as if she was playing the instrument right there. Clarice, Cal and Mic took each a candy in turn and joined her. Clarice's whistle was a flute, Cal's a bagpipe and Mic's a drum. Their whistles grew louder and louder, all perfectly in tuned, and the rhythm went faster. By the time they had reached the final refrain they were all short of breath and started laughing uncontrollably.

Mic launched the little box of Barnaba's Bard Bonbons back at Adele. "I heard Barnaba is about to launch the "Muggles Flavour" line with only muggle music instruments like those eclectic guitars and sacks-of-horns and tramp-hats..."

Clarice burst into a hearty laugh. "Tramp-hats?! You mean Trumpets!"

"Yes, tramp-hats, what did I say?" Mic looked at her half in confusion half in irritation.

Clarice was the only one between them who could claim a familiarity with le muggle world since she grew up right next to her muggle grandparents.

Caleb and Mic could also count some muggle relatives in their families and were used to some of the muggle's habits and customs but that didn't mean they were experts.

Adele, on the other hand, have had no contact whatsoever with muggles in her childhood, before coming to Hogwarts. She actually have had no contact whatsoever with anyone but her father, her grandmother and Poppy the House Elf.

A distant peal of laughter reached them and they all turned to watch where it came from.

A swarm of students had gathered around near the beech tree in front of the lake some sixty feet from them.

"What's happening there?" asked Cal stretching out his neck in that direction.

"For what I can see from here I think it's Potter and Black picking on that Snape boy again," answered Mic with interest.

At that moment, two figures approached them from behind.

"Guys! Look what my parents sent me by owl this morning for my birthday!"

Dave was a tall, plump boy with light brown hair and an enthusiastic expression on his face. He was holding a large box with golden carved letters on it and an image of a gold snitch swirling around them.

"Would you like to try and play it tonight after dinner?"

He was accompanied by Didi, a small bespectacled girl with curly red hair tied in two little pigtails and a face covered with freckles who took place next to Adele.

"What is it?" inquired Mic, apparently forgetting about the show down at the beech tree.

"It's called Snitch Snatcher. It's a board play that simulates Hogwarts Quidditch Cup and actually reproduce Hogwarts' Quidditch Camp!" Didi answered with as much enthusiasm as Dave.

"Yeah, my cousin received it too for Christmas. It's going to be fun! Each player controls a House Team so it's designed for 4 player but we can play in couples." approved Caleb.

"That would be even better! If Card, Alba and Oris join us, we'll be nine. One of us can be the referee" Dave plopped down heavily on the ground next to Mic "Where're they anyway?"

"Don't you remember? Divination Class" Clarice reminded him.

They were all so absorbed in the conversation that they didn't even noticed the small group of Slytherins approaching till a hand from behind Mic's back reached out and took the board game.

"What is it you have here?" a lanky pale boy with straw-coloured hair and a sly smile on his freckled face stood just behind Mic and Dave.

"Hey give it back, Crouch!" Cal jumped immediately on his feet and the freckled boy took a step back without a flick on his devious smile. He was escorted by his usual little gang of friends.

"Oh Merlin, what are you? Seven-year-old? Still playing Quidditch board games?" he said, watching at the box he was holding in his hands. "I actually thought it was something interesting judging by all your excitement," he added, with a bored tone.

"Fuck off, Barty. And give Dave back that game."

Adele rose to her feet, followed by her friend.

"If you ask me so nicely, Grey. You took it all from your father, eh?" Barty looked at her with a malicious grin and flipped his tongue to wet his lips.

"Why do you always have to be such a pain in the ass Crouch? Can't we just go on with our lives hating each other from a distance?"

"We could. But then, I know you would miss me thoroughly, not having a chance to show off your Gryffindor's arrogance. And I, on my behalf, would really miss not having the chance of watching at your stupid faces as I get you all in detention"

Bartemius Crouch Junior was undoubtedly a gifted student, excelling in different subjects, but his primary talent was actually his ability to get away with punishments and detentions, managing somehow to always look like the innocent one at the eyes of professors.

"How did your muggle parents managed to buy it anyway, Halpert?" intervened a small boy with a plummy voice watching at the box over Crouch Jr.'s shoulders.

"They know how to send owls. Smart animals, owls. In fact, they are much smarter than some snakes," said Dave in a tone of defiance.

Despite his usual childish manners and general gentleness, when provoked, you could easily see why Dave Halpert was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Now you are being quite offensive, Halpert. You should be more respectful to those above you. I think you deserve a punishment for it." Barty took out the wand, at which all the Gryffindors reached out for theirs causing the Slytherin to do the same. But instead of pointing it to the Gryffindors, he directed it to the Snitch Snatcher box he was still holding and said calmly "_Depulso_". The box quickly took flight and headed to the lake sinking into the water, far offshore.

"No!" Dave cried helplessly stretching out his arm as he could grab it back.

"Don't worry Dave," Caleb reassured him "we just have to ask someone to summon it for us."

Barty smiled derisively at that.

"It won't work," said Adele in a dark tone. She and Barty looked at each other.

Caleb turned at her in astonishment.

"What? How do you know?"

"C'mon, Carter, where would've been the fun in that?"

"You're just a brainless muckworm, Crouch." spat out Adele before turning to Dave "Don't worry, I think I can take it back"

She put her hands on her waist and started unfastening the buttons of her skirt.

Dave looked at her, abashed.

"What are you doing Adele?"

Under the dazzled looks of both Slytherins and Gryffindors, she let her skirt fall down, put her wand between her hip and her knickers and walked past them all while unbuttoning her shirt.

"Adele, you can't swim so offshore!" Clarice tried to stop her.

"Don't worry, I won't have to"

When she bent over her bag, she took a little box and, wearing only her undershirt and her panties, walked, determined, inside the lake.

* * *

_(*) **Barnaba's Bard Bonbons** are a fruit of my imagination; they do not exist in the Harry Potter Universe. When you eat one of these candies you will be able, for a time between three and six minutes, to reproduce exactly the sound of the instrument carved on it by simply whistling. There are a great variety of Barnaba's Bard Bonbons and each one offers different types of music instruments._

_This invention of mine comes from two inferiority complexes I suffer from: I've never truly learned how to play an instrument AND I can't whistle (I know, everyone keeps telling me how easy it is but it's useless, I think there is something wrong with me). So I thought it would have been really cool to have a candy that gives you the ability of playing music AND to whistle like Robin Hood's minstrel rooster!_


	3. SIRIUS

**SIRIUS**

_In which Sirius meets Adele._

* * *

"Grey! Wait!"

Remus was shouting at the girl as she was walking in the lake but didn't seemed to hear him.

At the edge of the lake, the third years appeared lined up in two opposite fronts. Sirius recognized some of those at the left side as he had seen them in Gryffindor's Common Room. He supposed the four boys on the other side were Slytherins, by the look of them: first class robes, well-groomed hair but most of all, that unmistakeable air of superiority stuck in their face even in stupor.

They were all watching at the girl in silence with mouth and eyes wide opened; a blond guy in the Gryffindor's side was still pointing his wand in the Slytherin's direction looking as though he forgot he had an arm.

When Sirius and Peter caught up with Remus, a girl with a small upturned nose was telling him what happened.

"…but Adele said it wouldn't work and she would take it back herself. I tried to stop her…"

"She was right: the lake is the merpeople territory, the Summoning Charm has no power in there," explained Remus turning to watch at the girl in the lake.

The water was at her elbows' level when she stopped, grabbed her wand and dived into the water disappearing from their sight.

They all waited and watched the lake's surface expecting to see her coming up to take breath somewhere, but a minute later still there was no sign of her.

A small crowd of curious students was quickly forming around them.

"Moony, I think you will have to play the hero and go save that mad girl;" urged Sirius with a slightly amused tone "don't think a third year will be able to deal with a nest of Grindylows."

"There she is!" a tall, plump boy cried out, pointing at the girl re-emerging in the very same spot where she'd gone down.

She stood there watching around as if looking for something.

"Grey!Grey! Come ba-" Remus couldn't finish the sentence because something was emerging from under the water just a few inches in front of her and that something was big.

Almost thirty people held their breath simultaneously; the blond boy called Cal took a step forward to the lake, alarmed, the two girls covered their mouths with their hands and the lanky Slytherin called Crouch almost crashed over his friends while Peter shrieked acutely. Sirius himself could hear his own heart thumping against his chest for the shock of the appearance.

The creature had long, untidy, dark green hair and a beard that looked like a tangle of seaweed. He was wearing a necklace of pebbles that hung over a large and muscled chest; his skin was of a greyish complexion and with his right hand he was holding a big lance.

The young witch in front of him fell back for a moment, staggered, but, at Sirius' surprise, she quickly recovered and took a decisive standing position.

"That's - that's -" Peter was pointing towards the creature with evident problems remembering how to breathe.

"That's a merman," Sirius concluded for him. He felt extremely thrilled: the whole situation was turning really interesting.

"What is she doing?" asked someone between the group of onlookers.

The young witch was moving her arms fervently and for a moment, she turned to point at the shore where they were standing.

"She is talking to him," stated Sirius, positively fascinated by the boldness of the young Gryffindor.

As she stopped gesturing, the merman stared at her solemnly without moving.

For a moment, Sirius thought he was going to attack her but then, she stretched out her arm and handed a little box to the merman. The creature took it and, after a quick examination, nodded at her just before vanishing back underwater with a jolt of his fish tail.

Few minutes after he was back, carrying a box in his hand and offering it to the girl. She bowed slightly her head in a gesture of thanking and when the merman sank under the water once again, she finally turned towards the shore and started walking back carrying the box in her arms.

Her friends run towards her cheering and shouting, and Sirius saw her smiling back at them while gradually emerging out of water. She was in that age when she couldn't be considered a child anymore and neither had she a woman's body yet. Nonetheless, Sirius thought there was something captivating in her semi-nudity and her undershirt wasn't really helping hiding the curves of her chest. Drops of water were running down from her thin waste through her thighs and he found himself following their course with his throat getting dryer.

Still surrounded by her cheering mates, she made towards her clothes and bowed down to take them. Her long brown hair, tied in a braid that hanged over her left shoulder, touched the ground lightly.

"I didn't know you could speak mermish!"

"I wish! No, the merpeople of Hogwarts understand our tongue, they just usually refuse to speak it"

"What did you gave him?"

"My Barnaba's Bard Bonbons, I thought -"

"Genius! Cause they love music, isn't it?"

"Well Grey, I didn't know you were so good playing at go fetch the stick" a lanky Slytherin boy interrupted the flux of questions and praises, "I could use you as a retriever dog"

As he was speaking, his eyes lingered for a moment on her chest and he slipped out his tongue to wet his lips like a snake.

The girl watched him with distaste.

"I'm sure that poor house-elf that still has to change your wet bed sheet every night after you've had a nightmare can easily go fetch your stick for you, Barty"

At that, the whole group burst into laughing and Sirius couldn't help but grinning watching at the boy's face turning red in anger.

Remus took a step forward.

"Crouch, I'm gonna report this to your Head House. I'm sure Professor Slughorn will not be pleased to hear about this"

"Yeah sure, we'll see" replied Crouch with a mocking smile while heading back to the castle, followed by his three companions.

Remus just ignored them.

"He will probably find out his way to convince Slughorn we framed him or something," said one boy standing next to the wet girl who was now buttoning up her shirt.

"Adele, I'm sorry but I have to report you to McGonagall too. We are not supposed to go swim offshore in the lake"

The witch looked darkly at Remus.

"I didn't _swim_! I was still touching my feet on the bottom"

"Oh c'mon, Remus" Sirius chimed in, grinning, "I'm sure you can turn a blind eye on this. Don't act as if you weren't impressed. Plus is reassuring to know that there is someone else in this school who can keep those slimy Slytherins in line"

The brunette's eyes met Sirius' with an undecipherable expression and he glanced back at her, amused.

"Well, actually I was wondering: how did you manage to summon a merman?"

The girl named Adele turned her gaze back to Remus, who sounded more curious than stern.

"I used a Bubble-Head Charm. I read a book about the merpeople last summer; there was an entire chapter dedicated to the Selkies of the Black Lake. I remembered there was a song that you must sing under the water if you want to ask them to come to you. I couldn't recall all the words but apparently it worked nonetheless"

"You mean Dylan Marwood's Guide?"

She simply nodded to confirm.

Water was still dripping from her hair and her shirt was missing some buttons resulting, overall, in a quite wild and lush appearance, which was further intensified by her evident unconsciousness of the effect she was having on her male audience.

"Can we go to lunch? I'm starving here!" cut off Peter imploringly.

Sirius burst into laugh.

"We can always count on Petey to remind us all what's really important in life!" He put an arm around Peter's shoulders and turned towards the castle.

For an instant, he met Adele's eyes again.

For some reasons now Sirius REALLY wanted it to be full moon that night.


	4. MARLENE

**MARLENE**

_In which Marlene takes her practical OWL exam in Defence Against the Dark Arts and talks with Lily about Erumpent's horns, love interests and obsessions._

* * *

"Thank you, Miss McKinnon, you are free to go. Madame Pomfrey will give you a lotion for that sting."

Marlene smiled politely to the old witch sitting behind the desk in front of her and made her way to the Great Hall door. A little smile of satisfaction crept in her face: although the Confundo Spell she casted to the Bumblebees the examiner set against her wasn't probably strong enough since one managed to sting her anyway, she was pretty sure she scored at the very least an Exceed Expectations thanks to the Shield Charm and the General Counter Spell she casted right after.

"Let me see, dear."

Madame Pomfrey was standing at the end of the Great Hall, right next to the door, with a little provision of remedies and potions to tend the small wounds of the students after the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical exam.

While the little witch was tamping her arm with some cotton soaked with lotion, Marlene turned to look at her friend Mary MacDonald who was still taking the exam. She was trying, with some difficulties, to cast an Oppugno Jinx towards the hat of his examiner, which, despite all her efforts, was lying inanimate and unmoving on the desk. At her third try, finally the spell worked and the hat came alive and tried to attack its owner, who rapidly casted the counter-spell and put it back on his head. Mary looked visibly relieved and when their eyes met and Marlene winked encouraging at her, she smiled weakly back.

Once outside the Great Hall Marlene looked around for her best friend but as much as she tried, she couldn't see Lily's redhead among the fifth-years crowding the Entrance Hall after the practical exam so she resigned herself to wait for Mary alone.

Few minutes after, a ragged-looking Mary walked towards her.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm just happy it's over and I hope old Tofty will grant me an Acceptable for the effort" she started off before Marlene could get a word.

"I'm sure Professor Tofty appreciated your effort to attend the obligatory exam of Defence" she said, amused by her friend's attitude.

On their way to the Library, they went on chatting about the exams to come.

Marlene was hoping to be accepted for the Auror training after Hogwarts, meaning she needed top grades in most of the obligatory subjects. The pressure was causing her more than just a headache and a lot of stress but she has never been the type to show openly her weaknesses and has always made a point to appear as serene, cheerful and self-confident as she could, especially in difficult situations. The only person Marlene has ever met that has proven to be able to see over this façade was her best friend, Lily Evans, who also was as discreet as to not try to break it in front of others.

Marlene and Mary found Lily in the Library, so deeply immersed into "Transfiguration vol.5" that she didn't even noticed them until they grab the chairs in front of her. She jumped on her sit and raised her eyes distrustfully only to sigh in relieve once she recognized them.

"Oh, it's you…"

"Don't worry, Snivellus is still waiting to do the exam" Marlene reassured her.

"Stop calling him Snivellus, Lene." She snapped, launching her a glance of disapproval.

"Why not? I think it suits him well. Especially after this morning."

Lily has been in an awful mood since the events of that morning, which, in addition to the OWL's stress syndrome, was making her almost impossible.

Marlene has long time stopped to try and understand the reasons for Lily's affection for that sorrowful Slytherin and has long time learned to pay attention when dealing with a moody Lily Evans so she drop the topic and opted for a brusque change of subject asking her about her exam instead.

A couple of hours later Lily, Marlene and Mary were back at the Great Hall for dinner. The food has already been served on the four long tables and the Hall was full with the sounds of cutlery scraping and tapping against dishes and hundreds of students chatting, laughing and chewing. Marlene spotted James, Sirius, Peter and Remus sitting near the end of the Gryffindor's table and pointed to Lily and Mary the free chairs at their right that the four wizards probably saved for them.

"I don't want to suffer Potter's wisecracks any more than I have to. Let's sit there instead." Said Lily in a resentful tone, pointing at some random chairs far away from their four classmates.

Marlene sighed exasperated.

"Oh c'mon Lily, I know James can be a little annoying sometimes and sure he is a bit big-headed, as you pointed out this morning, but he really didn't do anything to you"

"Plus you have to admit he and the others are usually quite fun as a group" intervened Mary in a conciliatory attempt.

"Yeah, fun as an Erumpent horn shoved up your ass" argued Lily, gloomier than ever, "Please, I'm not in the mood"

"Al right, all right" Marlene accepted reluctantly.

As she followed her friends further the sits their classmates saved for them, she cast an apologetic glance at James who was looking at them as if they just slapped him in the face.

Unlike Lily, Marlene had always had a good relationship with their male classmates, especially with James and Sirius, and occasionally, to Lily's great disdain, she even acted as an accomplice in their little pranks by distracting the professors or by giving them alibies.

"I'll never understand how can you be so into that toerag of his friend!" stated Lily once they were all seated.

"Lily!" Marlene rebuked her, alarmed, looking around to be sure nobody heard. "Would you please do me the favour of not letting all the table know about my love interests?"

"And, by the way," she went on in a hushed tone, "I think you are probably the only witch in this entire school, teachers included, who cannot understand why I'm into Sirius Black."

"Did you notice how Professor Bonfoy smiles at him every time he enters the class, even if he's late and claims he has been delayed by a stag, a rat and a wolf attacking him in his bed?" stepped in Mary.

Marlene had a crush for Sirius from the very first day of school but she has never been the kind of girl that looks at boys with languid, dreamy eyes from a distance, hoping one day he will notice her and ask her out. No doubt, Sirius was handsome and charming and bright but what most attracted Marlene about him was his ability to make her laugh even about things and situations she would never have thought she could actually laugh about. She envied his attitude as if he's able to take nothing seriously and life with him seemed to be never boring and always entertaining. That was what attracted her about Sirius the most; that and the fact that he was handsome and charming and bright, of course.

"Tsk! He's a big-head and a bully just as his friend" retorted Lily.

"I know Sirius is not your type, Lily. That's why you are my perfect girlfriend" teased Marlene, hugging and kissing Lily in an attempt to lighten her up, "at least I can be sure we won't never ever argue for the same guy".

"What a solid basis for a friendship! I'm flattered!" said Lily sarcastically with the first hint of a smile since days.

"On the other hand," went on Marlene "lately you spend lots of words talking about James. It seems everything he does or says matters a lot to you. If I didn't know you better I would say you are a tiny bit into him yourself …"

"Don't be ridiculous Lene!" burst out Lily, every sign of the previous smile gone. "If I talk a lot about him is just because he is continuously mocking me with this story of him wanting to go out with me. It makes me so angry. I despise him. I hate him."

"Ok, ok, calm down! I was just kidding!"

Shocked by Lily's strong reaction to her jest, Marlene couldn't help but thinking if it had something to do with the involvement of her Slytherin friend in Potter's pranks that morning.

"Snivellus is watching you rather intensively," she noted, turning to the table on the other side of the Hall.

Lily stubbornly refused to watch in the same direction.

"I'm not in the mood for him neither"

"You better not" agreed Marlene, still staring at the greasy boy. He was watching at Lily so intensively that he didn't even seem to have noticed her, even if she was sitting right next to the source of his interest. It made Marlene shiver. "I think he is obsessed with you and not in a good way, if there has ever been a good way for obsession".


	5. New Chapters

**New story/new chapter published: check my page for "Backlighting :: Summer 1976"**


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